


Never Alone

by Bulletproof_love



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Caring, Comfort/Angst, Drinking to Cope, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Friendship/Love, Hurt/Comfort, Love, anita hall
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-23
Updated: 2018-09-23
Packaged: 2019-07-16 05:16:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16079204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bulletproof_love/pseuds/Bulletproof_love
Summary: Peter turns to alcohol after Pam's death.





	Never Alone

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tobeconspicuous](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tobeconspicuous/gifts).



> This one is for my wonderful beta tobeconspicuous!
> 
> She is both Anita and Peter's biggest supporter and it makes me so happy to be encouraged to write them.

The bar was one that Anita had frequented a couple of times with Peter during the course of their short-lived relationship. When the bartender had called Anita, telling her to pick up her boyfriend, she had had no idea at all what he was talking about. 

There hadn’t been a man in her life since Peter and that had ended cordially. He had been coming to terms with the death of his father when they ’d met, starting a new job as  an ADA . And Anita had been settling in after her recent transfer to the Threat Assessment Unit. 

Cancelled dates had become customary , in the end, they had both conceded that time was a commodity that neither of them. They still cared for one another, exchanging texts regularly. She had tried calling after hearing about his sister’s death, but Peter hadn’t picked up. 

There had been no texts since then .

Anita had reasoned that he probably needed the space, the time to grieve and recover. Instead it seemed that he was drowning himself in top shelf bourbon. It was unlike the Peter she had come to know during the months that they had spent together. 

Looking at him right now at the far end of the bar was like seeing a stranger. He was perched on a barstool precariously, an empty glass tumbler clasped tightly in his hand. The sky-blue shirt was unbuttoned to Peter’s collarbone, revealing a small expanse of his chest. The shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. He hunched over the bar, shoulders tightly drawn as he ducked his head to stare into the recesses of the tumbler.

On the bar beside him, placed neatly side by side were his wallet, phone and keys. 

Anita approached slowly, placing her hand on his shoulder and clasping it gently as she stepped into his line of vision.

“Hi.” She greeted him, meeting his red rimmed eyes.

“You made it.” Peter said, the edges of his mouth tipping up into the beginnings of a smile as he focused on her. “Have a drink with me.”

“I think you’ve had enough to drink.” Anita told him, taking his keys, wallet and cell phone from their place at the bar and depositing them into the pockets of Peter’s suit jacket that had been haphazardly tossed onto the bar stool alongside him.

“So, you came to rescue me?” Peter questioned as Anita picked up his suit jacket and held it open for Peter to slip his arms into the sleeves. 

Peter rose to his feet, putting his hand on the bar to steady himself as he slipped off the stool with a slight wobble.

“You’re hardly a damsel in distress , ” Anita said wryly as she helped Peter thread his arms into the navy-blue suit jacket. “Come on, let me get you home."

Anita turned away intending to lead Peter through the bar, his hand caught hers, enveloping it completely in his own. 

It was an intimate gesture, one so familiar that her chest ached as she led him through the throng of people. She felt his grip on her hand tighten as they navigated their way through the door and onto the street.

As soon as the cool night air hit Peter, it was as if the life drained right out of him. In the overhead street lights, she could see just how exhausted he really was. She hadn’t noticed those dark circles back in the bar, they had been hidden by the shadows cast by the dim lights.

He was quiet as she helped him into the passenger seat of her car, compliant as she fastened his seatbelt before she took her place in the driver’s seat. 

She glanced at Peter. His head was resting upon the cool glass of the window, his eyes were closed. If it wasn’t for his breathing she would have thought that he had fallen asleep. Anita started the car, the locks automatically engaging as she pulled out into the street.

“I’ve missed you.” Peter said quietly into the air between them. “I wanted to call you after Pam died but I…”

He trailed off, leaving a heavy silence. She knew it must hurt to talk about had happened to Pam, she had seen the agony in his eyes back in the bar.

“You don’t have to explain anything to me , ” Anita responded softly. “You were hurting, you’re still hurting.”

“I’m the only one left Ani.” He whispered that sweet term of endearment along with his confession. “It feels like I’m alone in the world screaming into the abyss.”

“Peter…” Anita searched for the words and found herself lacking as she pulled up outside of Peter’s brownstone. 

Already Peter was already leaving the car, his hands delved into his suit pockets before he withdrew his keyring. It took five attempts of him trying to get the key into the lock and failing miserably before Anita gently removed the keys from his hands. 

“Here, let me.” She offered kindly, putting the key into the lock and twisting in order to get the latch open. 

Peter gestured for Anita to step inside, he closed the door behind them before stepping past her and leading her into the living room. She stripped off her jacket, hanging it on the mahogany coat rack before turning to see Peter standing alongside the sideboard, already pouring scotch into two crystal tumblers. He held one out to her before taking a swig from his own. 

“Peter.” She said his name to draw his attention before plucking the glasses from his hands and placing them back on the side table. “I really think you’ve had enough.”

She turned back to find him lingering in her proximity. She could feel the heat of his body as his head tilted down towards her. His green eyes were fathomless, his hand came up to cup her cheek, his thumb tracing over her mouth before he leaned in to kiss her. His lips tenderly brushed over hers. He tasted of whisky and cigarettes causing Anita to draw away before the kiss could deepen and become more. 

“Not like this.” She told Peter, her forehead coming to rest upon his. “We deserve better than this.”

Peter sighed, his expression pained as he closed his eyes tightly.

“Can you stay?” he asked her, his voice rough with emotion. “I don’t want to be alone tonight.”

“Of course.” Anita murmured before taking Peter’s hand and leading him to the bedroom.

She helped him out his suit jacket before locating it’s hanger and returning its place on the back of the bedroom door. Peter was already seated upon the bed when she turned to face him, his back propped up against the pillows.

She remembered the last time they had been together in his bed, how he had watched her with hungry eyes from the same position as she undressed for him, discarding each layer of her clothing until there was nothing left.

Peter patted the space alongside him, snapping Anita out of her reverie. She climbed onto the bed,  making herself comfortable before Peter’s head came to rest upon her lap. Anita’s fingertips stroked through his hair, her fingertips massaging over his scalp lovingly.

“I promise you Peter , ” Anita whispered. “I promise that you won’t have to go through this alone.”


End file.
